Computing machine



L Tl .E D.. uU K cm A. om 2 9 1 2, n a. J

COMPUTING MACHINE.

FILED OCT. I6I I920.

" lll/ll K III 2f l/l) .IIL

lPatented Jan. 2, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,440,610 PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH G. KUPETZ, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD COM-- PUTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ooMrUTING MACHINE.

Application filed October 16, 1920.

10 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, ADoLPH Gr. KUPETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in New Rochelle, in the county of vWestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Computing Machines, ot which the. following is a specification.

This invention relates to computing mechanism, and more particularly to cut-out means for the motor to prevent damage thereto in case the computing mechanism becomes obstructed. The invention is herein disclosed as applied to a combined typewriting and computing machine of the Underwood-Hanson type.

The main object ot' the invention is to provide a simple and effective cut-out means for the motor, so that in case the computing mechanism gets stuck, burning-out of the motor will be avoided.

1n carrying out the invention, the reciprocation of the general operator may be effected by means including a worm-gear actuated by a worm, which, while normally held against movement longitudinally of its axis, may be so moved in case the general operator gets stuck before returning to its normal position, and in such case will actuate suitable mechanism to break the motorcircuit.

Other features and advantages will hereinatter' appear.

1n the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of ortions ot a motor-actuated Underwood-1 anson machine with my invention applied thereto, the parts being shown in their normal positions.

Figure 2 is a view, looking from the left of Figure 1, ot' the novel structure, portions being/broken away to show the underlying structure.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts shown in Figure 2.

Figure et is a view of a section taken along the line 4 4, ot Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a diagram of the electrical connections through which the motor is controlled.

Figure 6 is a view in which certain of the parts shown in Figure 1 are shown in the positions assumed when the switch-lever is released to break the motor-circuit.

Serial No. 417,389.

In computing mechanism of the Under-v nominations may be indexed by depressing the proper pin 10 of each of the pin-bars or members 11 of the proper denominations. The pin-bars or denominational4 members 11 are normally held in their rearward p0- sitions by means of springs 12, and the pinbars on which digits have been indexed may be actuated by a general operator 13 when given its forward movement, a bar 14 of the general operator engaging the depressed pins and driving the denominational members 11 in accordance with the pins depressed.

Each ot' the members 11 is provided with a rack 15, which forms part of a one-Way driving connection with` a oorrespondlng dial wheel 16, the reading of the dial wheels at any time being taken through a sightopening 17.

The mechanism by which the indexing is effected may be substantially the. same as that disclosed in the patent to Frederick A. Hart, No. 1,287,301, dated December 10, 1918.

When it is desired to actuate the general operator, the person operating the machine will p-ress down an offset portion 18 of a vertically slidable bar 19, the lower forked end of which embraces the right-hand end of a lever 20, which is connected at the other side of its pivot with a pin 21, so that depression of the bar 19 will lift the pin 21 and cause operation of the motor-driving means for the general operator. Upon lifting of the pin 21, a. disk 22 will be moved in clockwise direction with reference to disk 23, by means of springs (not shown), the

kextent of such movement being determined by screws 24 passing through slots 25 in disk 22 and screwed into disk 23. 1n such movement of the disk 22` a finger 26 thereon will be moved sufficiently to permit a spring contact 27 (Figure 5) to engage a fixed contact 28, thereby completing a circuit through the motor 29 and starting the same. Upon such movementof the motor, a lug 30 on a disk 31 carried by the motor-shaft 32 and eX- tending into a slot in a projection 33 on a member 34 carried by shaft'35 will actuate the latter and a worm 36 fixed thereon.

The worm 36 and the shaft 35, on which it is mounted, are held in their normal positions by a spring 3l the connection between the motor and shaft 35 being such that the latter may be shifted to the. right in Figure 1 without affecting the driving relation of the motor therewith. The direction of rotation of the worm 36 is such as to drive in clockwise direction a worm-gear 38 mounted on shaft 39, the worm-gear 38 and a ratchet-wheel 40 fixed thereto being loosely mounted on said shaft 39. The slight relative movement of disk 22 with reference to disk 23 also causes pins 41 projecting rearwardly from disk 22 to release pawls 42 pivoted on 23, permitting said pawls to engage ratchet-wheel 40 and thereb-y connect the worm-gear with shaft 39, since disk 23 is fixed 011 the latter. After starting the motor 29 by depressing the slide 19, the latter may be released and the pin 21 permitted to return to its` original position. As the worm-gear approaches the end of a complete rotation, finger 26 will cam spring contact 27 away from fixed contact 28 and break the motor-circuit. At substantially the same time, disk 22 will be stopped by pin 21 and disk 22 will be shifted to its normal position relative to disk 23, thereby causing pins 41 to withdraw pawls 42 from ratchet-wheel 40 and break the connection between worm-gear 33 and shaft 39. r1`he mechanism just described is, in general, the same 'as that disclosed in the patent to Alfred J. lWood, No. 1,299,646, dated April 8, 1919, the vonly substantial difference residing in the provision of means where-by, in ap-plicants device, the worm `36 and shaft 35 may be shifted to the right, as shown in Figure 1.

The spring 37 is of sufficient strength so that in the ordinary operation of the computing mechanism, the worm 36 will be held in its normal position in engagement with the fixed bearing to the left thereof, as shown in Figure 1, but i`n case of stoppage of the general operator or the worm-gear 38, the worm 36 and shaft 35 will be moved to the right against the resistance of the spring 37, thereby causing a disk 43 on shaft 35 to engage and actuate a finger 44 and shift a latch-lever 45 connected therewith, so as to release a switch-lever 46 and permit it to be moved by a combined compression and torsion spring 47 to a position such as to break the motor-circuit. T he switch-lever 46 may be of any suitable conducting material.

The circuit-breaking means just described is mounted on a plate 48 secured byv suitable means such as screws to a fixed part of the machine. Suitably supported on plate 48 is a housing 49, and finger 44 and lever 45 are pivotally supported in lugs 50 projecting to the rear from the forward wall of housing 49 and attached thereto in any suitable manner. rllhe lugs 50 for both finger 44 and lever 45 may be formed on a single plate secured to the forward wall of housing 49.

ln order to adjust the finger 44 and lever 45 relatively to each other, they may be extendecl downwardly below their pivots and furnished with disks 51 in alignment from front to rear, as shown in Figure 2, and a flat-headed screw 52 passed through an opening in the disk 51 of finger 44 and screwed into the disk 51 of latch-lever 45, a compression spring 53 urging said disks 51 apart, so that the distance between said disks may be varied by means of said screw 52. A suitable opening 522l is provided in the front wall of housing 49 to permit access to the head of screw 52. l

As will be seen by inspection of the drawings, lever 45 is curved so as not to interfere with the movement of disk 43, and is guided near its upper end in a slotted bracket secured to the plate 48, the bracket 54 furnishing al proper support to maintain in proper position the latchl 55 projecting through an opening 56 in the front wall of the housing 49.' Also, the switch-lever 46 is mounted on the front wall of housing 49 and is enclosed by an outer housing` 57, through aI slot 58 in which the handle 59 at the endv of said switch-lever 46 projects. Preferably the handle 59 is of suitable non-conducting material such as fibre. The connections between the switch in the housings 49 and 57 and the motorecircu'it are made through terminals 69 and 61 carried-by the housing 49 and connected with the pivot of the switchlever 46 and with terminal 62 on the front wall of housing 49 by means of conductors 63 and 64, respectively.

It -will be evident that, after switch-lever 46 has been released and swung to its ineffective position and upon restorationof the machine to normal condition, disk 43 would be moved to the left in Figure 1 and the latch 55 restored to its normal position by suitable means, such as a leaf-spring 45a acting on latch-lever 45. In order then that the switch-lever 46 mayl be restored to its normal position by means of its handle'59, provision is made of' an inclined portion 65 on latch which will enable the switch-lever 46, when brought into engagement therewith, t'o force back the latch sufficiently to enable the switch-lever to be carried therepast and again latched thereby.

, Obviously, the current for themotor-circuit 66 may be drawn from any suitable source. but, for convenience,`the source is indicated as a battery 66el in the diagram in Figure 5.

rlhe means for actuating the general op- 'erator 13 from the shaft 39 comprises a crank-arm 67, having thereon apin 68 extending into a block 69 slidable in a vertical groove in a member` 70 carried by a. horizontal shaft 7l supported in fixed bearings T2. )totation of shaft 39 will obviously effect reciprocation of member 7 0 in a horizontal lLSU path and this motion will be transmitted to the general operator 13 by means of an extension 73 of member 70 projecting into a. yoke 74 secured to the general operator.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a motor, a worm driven thereby, a worm gear engaged by said worm, a shaft on which said worm is mounted, spring means normally holding the worm shaft against the thrust resulting from driving the worm gear, but adapted to yield in case of excessive resistance by the worm gear, a contact device including a member movable to and from its circuit-closing position,

means urging said member away from such position, a. pivoted latch-lever having a portion to engage said member to hold the same in circuit-closing position, a second lever ance with the digits indexed, and means whereby, upon stoppage of the computing mechanism before completing its action, the motor circuit vwill be broken and the motor thereby rendered ineffective.

\ l ADOLPH G. KUPETZ.

Vitnesses: y

CATHERINE A. NEWELL, y JENNIE P. THoRNE. 

